


The Cute Guy in 5B

by kultiras



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Alternate Universe - No Powers, First Meetings, Holiday Fic Exchange, M/M, No Avengers here, Phil Coulson is Skye's Father, Pre-Relationship, Single Dad Phil Coulson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-31
Updated: 2015-12-31
Packaged: 2018-05-10 15:22:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5591350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kultiras/pseuds/kultiras
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil's just met the cute new neighbor in 5B, Daisy's upset that he didn't ask out the cute new neighbor, and Clint just wants to spend more time with the nice, hot dad in 5D (especially since 5D's daughter seems to be on board with this plan.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Cute Guy in 5B

**Author's Note:**

  * For [desert_neon (sproutgirl)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sproutgirl/gifts).



> Loosely inspired by [this](http://otpprompts.tumblr.com/post/114976129872/imagine-person-as-a-single-parent-whose-kid-has) prompt: Imagine Person A’s a single parent whose kid has to encourage them to ask Person B out.
> 
> desert_neon, I really hope you enjoy this story. I tried to incorporate as many of your likes as I could. Happy Holidays!
> 
> Many, many, many thanks to my beta (whose name shall be revealed later) for staying up late and waking up early to read through this story, and for helping me refocus when the story kept changing directions on me. I really couldn't have finished this without you. =)

“Aw, keys,” a voice whined plaintively just as Phil stepped out of the elevator onto his floor of the apartment building. Phil glanced over and spotted someone holding an armful of boxes, struggling to get into the apartment a few doors down from his.

“Need a hand?” Phil called out. He walked over to the other apartment and introduced himself, “I’m Phil. Phil Coulson from 5D.”

“Clint Barton, trying to finish moving into 5B. And yeah, if you’ve got a minute I really could use some help.”

“Sure. Want me to take some of these boxes from you?” Phil offered. He moved closer to Clint and looked at the boxes to see how many he could handle.

“Nah, I’ve got this covered,” Clint replied with a smile, “But if you could find the keys that I dropped and actually open the door, that would be awesome.”

Phil smiled back briefly, already searching the floor for the missing keys. He found them in the corner of the doorway next to Clint’s foot. Picking them up, he was quickly able to unlock and open the door for his new neighbor.

Clint carefully stepped into his apartment and made a beeline for the dining table near the kitchen. He slid his pile of boxes onto the table then turned back towards Phil. “Thanks, Phil,” Clint said, “I don’t know how long it would have taken me to put the boxes down without dropping any of them in order to find the keys.”

“It really wasn’t a problem,” Phil replied, handing back the keys. “But if you don’t mind my asking, why were you carrying so many boxes at once in the first place?”

“Didn’t really have an easier way of doing it. My old roommate, Kate, and her new roommate let me move out slowly as long as I got the biggest pieces out before the new person moved in. These were the last things that I had at my old apartment,” Clint explained. “Kate dropped me off, and I thought I could handle the door despite the boxes, so she just helped stack the boxes in my arms, and made sure I got into the building okay. She had to be at an appointment in a little while, otherwise she would have stayed to help me out.” He ducked his head sheepishly and continued, “I made it to the door just fine, but while I had my keys in my hand, they weren’t in the right position for me to actually get the door open. And then they fell, and you rescued me.”

“Ah, well I’m glad I got back at the right time then. I wouldn’t have wanted you to be stuck out here any longer than you already were.” Phil smiled and stepped back out into the hallway. “I should go and get dinner started, before my daughter starts texting me about ordering takeout. If you need help with anything, feel free to stop by, Clint. Like I said, we’re just down the hall in 5D.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Clint replied. He shook hands with Phil, and then Phil left, trying hard not to glance back at his new neighbor as he walked away from Clint. Phil had the door to his own apartment open before he heard Clint call back to him, “Thanks again, Phil!”

Phil waved back at Clint as he entered his apartment, and shut the door behind him, trying to conceal the smile on his face.

“So he sounds nice and polite…who is he?” The question was already out of Daisy’s mouth before Phil could finish locking the door.

“That was our new neighbor in 5B,” Phil replied, his head thumping against the door gently. Phil braced himself for the onslaught of questions he could see in his immediate future.

“Oh realllly,” Daisy replied, inexplicably perking up at that answer. “He have a name?”

“Clint Barton.”

“Is he single?”

“I didn’t ask.”

“Daaaad, you could have at least tried to figure out if he’s available.” Phil turned to her and just shrugged. Daisy ignored that and continued, “But he’s cute?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You’re not denying it,” Daisy replied as smugly as any fifteen year-old could. “He made you smile, Dad. He’s the first guy you’ve had a conversation with since I was seven. Why didn’t you ask him out for coffee?”

Phil sighed, “Daisy, I just met Clint. I’m not going to ask him out, ” he called over his shoulder as he headed into the kitchen to cook dinner.

Daisy glanced back at the door. “You haven’t asked him out yet, Dad,” she said softly. “That doesn’t mean you won’t.”

Daisy glanced back at the door. “You haven’t asked him out yet, Dad,” she said softly. “That doesn’t mean you won’t.”

~*~*~*~*~

“Hey! Hey, are you the new guy in 5B?” Clint turned and saw a teenaged girl jogging down the hall towards him.

“Uh, yeah I’m Clint.”

“Nice to meet you!” she replied cheerfully, “You actually met my dad a couple days ago while you were still moving in. I’m Daisy Coulson.”

At that, Clint grinned. “Oh, you’re Phil’s daughter? Nice to meet you too.”

“I’m sorry to bug you, but I picked up our mail and it looks like they’re training someone new or something, because we got your mail instead of ours.”

“Seriously? Let me see if I got yours. I picked it up, but I haven’t looked at it yet.” Clint flipped through the mail in his hands, and it was indeed the Coulsons’ mail. He quickly handed the stack over to Daisy.

“Thanks,” Daisy said, “Here’s your mail too. Sorry about the mixup in the first place.”

“Not your fault. Thanks for getting this to me so quickly though, not sure when I would have noticed the mistake.”

“No prob. Anyway, how’re you liking your new place?” Daisy asked.

“I love it. I knew some of the people at my old building, but that was nothing like here. I think I’ve met just about everyone on our floor already, starting with your Dad.”

“Yeah, this building is full of good people. We have potlucks and all sorts of ‘it’s been over a month since we all got together let's have coffee or dessert’ get-togethers around here. You know, if you want to be sure you’ll see people, you could always host a party for everyone,” Daisy said, a hint of a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. “Once you’re all moved in and settled, I mean. Not right now, obviously. That would be stressful and odd.”

“Huh. That might actually be fun. I’ve never done that sort of thing before. And everyone comes? You, your dad, everyone?”

“Dad and I rarely miss them,” she replied, grinning broadly.

“Yeah?” Clint said, biting his lower lip momentarily, “That’s…that’s good to know.”

“Is it?” she asked innocently, “Then you should definitely think about hosting sometime, but regardless, make sure you come to the holiday party at 5H next week.”

“I think I will,” he said, smiling back at Daisy.

~*~*~*~*~

“I’ve got your pizza delivery, Mr. Coulson.” Phil smiled at the delivery person as he took the pizza and breadsticks and handed them to Daisy to check over as he paid for the delivery.

“Dad, hold up; this isn’t ours,” Daisy called out from the dining room.

“It’s not a ham, mushroom, and double black olive pizza?” Phil asked.

“No, this one is pepperoni. And didn’t you order breadsticks too?”

“Yes, I most certainly did.” Phil raised an eyebrow at the deliveryman who was already frantically searching through his other delivery receipts.

“Okay. According to this receipt, that pizza belongs to your neighbor down the hall, and I believe he has your missing breadsticks too. I am so sorry about this, I could have sworn I handed him the correct pizza,” the delivery guy apologized frantically, “If you give me a minute I swear, I can have a new pizza and breadsticks made and sent over for you.”

“Hold on, it’s fine, these things can happen,” Phil replied calmly. “Now which neighbor has our pizza?”

“Uh, 5B. Clint Barton?”

“Of course it’s him,” Phil heard Daisy mumble to herself. Piping up, she continued, “Want me to switch them out with Clint, Dad?”

“No that’ll be fine. I’ll take this pizza over to him in a minute.” Turning back to the deliveryman, Phil handed over the money. “It’s fine, you don’t need to order us any replacements.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you! Here, let me give you some extra coupons, it’s the least I can do.” Phil narrowly avoided getting a papercut as a handful of coupons were shoved at him in the deliveryman’s haste to move on from this disastrous delivery.

He shook his head in bemusement as he watched the deliveryman escape in the elevator. “Right, I’m going to go take Clint his pizza.”

“You do that.”

“Daisy…”

“What? I didn’t say anything!”

Rolling his eyes, Phil grabbed the pizza and went to Clint’s apartment. One knock later, the door was opening up to a comfortable looking Clint, clad in a t-shirt and jeans, phone mid-dial in his hand.

“Hey Phil, you making pizza deliveries in addition to rescuing helpless neighbors?” Clint asked as he canceled the call, and shoved his phone into his pocket.

“You were hardly helpless, and this is a one time pizza delivery,” Phil replied, smiling. “Did you happen to get a pizza with ham, mushrooms, and a ton of black olives? And some breadsticks, too?”

“I did,” Clint said. He walked backwards into his apartment and grabbed the pizza and breadsticks from his coffee table. “I’m guessing you’re holding my pepperoni pizza?”

“You guessed right.”

“Well that was an easy mixup to fix at least.” Clint smiled at Phil and added, “And honestly, I’m kinda glad. I’ve been looking for an excuse to see you again.”

Phil smiled softly upon hearing that. He barely hesitated before speaking again. “I feel the same way. And if you wouldn’t mind having some company with your pizza, you should come eat dinner with us.”

"Are you sure I won't be imposing?" Clint asked, "Your daughter won't have a problem with it?"

"You won't be imposing, and I don't think Daisy will mind at all. Knowing her, she'll probably be happy about it."

“Then dinner with both of you sounds perfect.” Clint grabbed his keys, and after locking the door, smiled and followed Phil back to 5D.

Walking into the apartment, Phil called out, “Daisy, can you pull out an extra paper plate and soda…” Phil trailed off as he saw that Daisy had already pulled out the extras while leaving space for the additional pizza box and breadsticks. He gave her a look and waited until she gave in and explained herself.

“Oh, c’mon Dad, like you were going to let him eat alone once you knew that we were all eating the same thing. There was no way you were going to go over there and return without Clint,” Daisy said. “And speaking of, hi Clint,” she said, waving at him in amusement. “You can put the pizza down over here.”

“Thanks, Daisy. Good to see you again.”

Grabbing slices of pizza and sodas, the three of them sat down to eat. Phil smiled as he realized how well Clint seemed to fit into their small family. While he’d never regretted being a single father to Daisy, he couldn’t deny that he wanted to have more days that ended like this, with the three of them happily sitting together. His thoughts on the possibility of asking Clint out on a proper date were interrupted when Clint spoke up.

“So I hear there’s a holiday party at our neighbor’s in a few days?” he began, winking at Daisy. “I’d like to go, but I still don’t know everyone else all that well. Mind if I tag along with the two of you?” he asked Phil.

Smiling back at Clint and Daisy, Phil said, “Oh I think that would be just fine with us.”


End file.
